Ross Reynolds

Today in the US there’s not much of a market for horse meat. But believe it or not, there used to be over 20 US processing plants that sold American horse meat to Asian and European markets.

Last Friday The Conversation got a call from a listener demanding that President Obama reintroduce a ban on horse slaughter. So we got a little curious. Today Ross talks to Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes about the history of horse slaughter in the US.

WashPIRG, a division of the Public Interest Research Group, gave Seattle an overall score of 78/100, which put us at 12th place out of the 30 major cities that were surveyed. So what exactly are we doing wrong? Ross talks with WashPIRG spokesperson Micaela Preskill to get a more detailed performance review.

Today Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will announce the military’s plan to allow women to serve in combat roles. It’s a move that could open up roughly a quarter million jobs for women in the military. Do you think women should serve in combat roles? Ross Reynolds hears your feedback today on The Conversation.

Seattle is in the process of updating its 20 year Bicycle Master Plan. Public comment is due January 31 – the last Thursday of this month. Bike advocates say the plan would transform Seattle into one of the top cycling cities in the world.  But will the changes be enough to convince you to commute to work by a bike? Ross Reynolds takes a closer look at the proposed plan with special guests and listeners.

There may soon be eight new FM radio station licenses available in Western Washington, and you can apply for one. The FCC announced that it is allowing nonprofits, educational institutions, tribal nations and more to apply for low-frequency licenses. Today Ross talks to Sabrina Roach, a veteran of KUOW and KBCS. She’s on the steering committee for a Digital Inclusion Summit currently in the works.

State auditors say that Washington state ferries cost too much money to build. The Chetzemoka ferry for example, which transports passengers from Coupeville to Port Townsend, cost around $36 million more than a similar boat that was built on the east coast. Auditors say it’s due to a state law that requires ferries to be built by Washington companies. Now they’re asking lawmakers to get rid of the law. Ross talks to Clipper Navigation CEO Derrell E. Bryan to get the details.

Marijuana is now legal in Washington state and many parents are wondering how to explain this to their children. Ross Reynolds speaks with one of the proponents of Initiative 502, Alison Holcomb, as well as Roger Roffman, professor emeritus in the school of social work at the University of Washington, and chief of adolescent medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Dr. Leslie Walker, about discussing marijuana legalization with children.

It’s been 40 years since President Richard Nixon put an end to the military draft in the United States. However, today’s all-volunteer system is causing a growing gap between the armed forces and the civilians they serve. Is the lack of a draft creating a warrior class? Ross Reynolds talks about reinstating the draft with Representative Charlie Rangel of New York and General Charlie Dunlap from Duke University.

For 30 years, Steve Kelley has been cranking out sports columns for The Seattle Times. But now, at age 63, Kelley says he’s leaving the journalism game to pursue other interests. Ross Reynolds sits down with Steve Kelly to talk Sonics, Seattle sports and what he plans on doing next.

The Federal Trade Commission reports that in 2011, there were 4,853 complaints of identity theft filed in Washington state. Some of the victims included elderly citizens, medical patients, and even foster children. And the FTC complaints don’t include online data theft.